Systems and methods for gathering and analyzing data captured during or related to live prerecorded events are known. In particular, systems and methods are known that enable play-by-play analysis of live or prerecorded game events for analysis thereof.
For example, various electronic devices are known for enabling individuals to track game events. Many of these systems require dedicated hardware components. More recently, technological advancements have provided the use of programmed personal computers to improve product flexibility and reduce production costs.
Systems that require dedicated hardware for tracking of game events include the following:
U.S. Pat. No. 6,148,242 is a portable electronic device used for recording and utilizing basketball game data. This device is dedicated to basketball only and is limited to a total of four rosters, 15 players per roster and 24 games. Thumb-operable keys are used to activate data entry of basketball game events.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,122,559 is a dedicated hand-held computer used for inputting sporting data, with an emphasis on the sport of soccer. Events (such as scoring and penalties) are associated with a player number and stored so that compiled statistics can be obtained.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,041,266 is a device that allows entry of baseball game statistics using a dedicated computer and keyboard for data entry.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,377,982 is a portable electronic scorekeeping device used to store statistics captured during a baseball game. Data is entered via a keyboard and is viewed on multiple displays. The device includes a microprocessor for data compilation, a printer to generate hardcopies, and an interface to a public scoreboard.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,266,214 describes a portable electronic game scoring apparatus. Although scoring is provided, no means of storing or generating statistics is provided.
Systems that operate using a personal computer to track game events include the following:
U.S. Pat. No. 6,545,689 represents a method and system for reviewing, editing, and analyzing soccer video data in support of gathering statistical information. This system is implemented on a personal computer running a Windows 98 (or equivalent) operating system and buttons are selected using a mouse.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,412,188 is a sports statistic recording system that utilizes bar code charts, a scanning device, and a computer. The computer is programmed to associate certain bar codes with specific players or events. This system requires significant setup time and does not lend itself well to real-time tracking.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,795,638 describes a system and method for creating video clips of activities that occur during hockey games, as well as other live performances. A database is used to store the video clips that are associated with selected events occurring during the game.
Other related inventions include those that are used primarily for tracking rosters, instead of tracking game events. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,636,920 discloses a sports team organizer that includes a dedicated hand-held device that is programmed to provide means for entering a roster and then calculating a optimal line-up based on user-defined enumerated ratings. U.S. Pat. No. 5,653,634 is a device used to store bibliographical and statistical information on individual players.
There is a need for a system and method in the field of team sports to keep track, on an ongoing and season-to-season basis, of many different aspects including, but not limited to creating rosters, evaluating players, diagramming plays, creating playbooks, recruiting personnel, scouting players and team, capturing game events in real-time, synchronizing game events with video, preparing for games, performing statistical analysis, storing drills, planning practices, generating a graphical play-by-play of actions, tracking leagues, and scheduling seasons. The prior art solutions do not provide these different aspects, nor do they disclose means for integrating these aspects in an easy to use application.
Another disadvantage of the prior art solutions, including those described above, is that they tend to be inefficient in that they do not optimize the number of users required to capture actions regarding the live or prerecorded event in real time.
There is a further need for a system and method that meets the aforesaid requirements that has improved characteristics for capturing spatial and/or temporal characteristics of the live or prerecorded events and optionally synchronizing these characteristics with digital video. In particular, the prior art solutions do not present means for efficient capture of the relatively complex set of temporal and/or spatial events associated with many live or prerecorded events that involve a rapidly running sequence of scenes, which can occur in disparate physical locations.